KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Fire Department said crews were responding to reports of a house fire with people inside on Monday. It said four children were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center on Monday as a result of the fire.
Later on Monday, authorities said one of the children died. Their full statement is below.
It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that the Knoxville Fire Department shares the death of one of the children who was a victim of today’s fire on Lenland Avenue.
The entire Knoxville Fire Department extends our sincere condolences to the family during the extremely difficult time.
All four were considered to be in critical condition when they were sent to the hospital.
Four dogs died in the fire, according to officials on the scene. The home is considered to be a total loss. The American Red Cross is helping the family.
KFD said it received a call about the fire around 2 p.m. from a resident of the home. Crews arrived within a minute, and they said when they arrived, they learned two children were in the basement.
Firefighters tried to rescue them as soon as they arrived but said the flames were too strong and the crew was pushed back. Soon, another crew of firefighters arrived, and with their help, they were able to rescue the children.
“It’s a very stubborn fire," said Mark Wilbanks, a spokesperson for KFD. "Today is a very, very hot day for firefighting. You put all this gear on, it makes it much harder. Our guys can work 20 to 30 minutes before they got to have a break.”
They said seven people lived in the home and six were home at the time of the fire. It took two hours to put out the fire, according to a release from officials.
KFD also originally posted on social media that the fire was on the 1600 block of "Lendland Avenue." That road is not in Knoxville, and crews confirmed that it was actually on Lenland Avenue.
Edit: A previous version of this story said two children were in serious condition, and two were in critical condition. All four were in critical condition, according to a release from KFD.